Wichita eagle., 1887-01-15
SLAMS QUEER PEOPLE.
A RACE OF BARBARIANS WHO IN
HABIT THE JUNGLES.
A Strange People Who Occupy the Low
est Plane of Huinanity-Their Sim
plicity of Life-Eood and Clothing.
VariouS peculiarifias

piicity OF LIfe-Eood and Clothing.
Various Peculiarities.
Among the many peculiarities of this
peculiar section is an almost unknown
race Of people, an account Of which feel
assured will be of great interest. 4 few
days since the governor Of Sangkia, q
province on the west coast OF Siam, who
was here to bring tribut to the king, gave
me considerable information in regard 10
these people who live on the coast. term
ing them Ken Poh-jungle people. They
make their homes amid the densest por-
ton OF the forest, have but little commu-
nication with the outer world-in fact
they are entirely isolated. The only per-
sons that they hold intercourse with are
slaves and traders who have penetrated
the jungle in search of game or barter, as
it is almost impossible to penetrate 10 the
villages on account of the density Of the
vegetation, the dangerous beasts and
venOmous serpentS that infest them.
They shun all intercourse with rangers,
have peculiar dialect of their own. live
in small villages, and are muscular,
hardy race, strictly veSetarians, do not
drink or smoke opium, have but few, if
any, Of the vices Of the natives, are but
five feet in height and seem TO be sunk in
the most abject barbaris1n, occupying the
lowest grade of humanity
What little religion they have is mon
grel worship of demons and the malignant
spirits that they assert inhabit the Jungle,
which they attempt TO propitiate by pres
ents, etc. Their habitations are partly
subterranean, about four feet high, an ex-
cavation in the ground around which
stakes are driven, covered with a dome Of
plated bamboo over which is pastered a
thick coating of mud, which soon hardenS
in the sun, rendering it iClpervious 10 the
rain or the heavy dews of that section,
which they occupy only when necessity
requires, as they live mostly in the open
air, and when the land is overlooked up
in the trees. Their clothing is of the most
primitive kind. A piece Of cloth about
one foot wide and four feet in length,
which is held in place by piece Of Llama
or vine, as they have no cord or rope, is
made into q belt placed around the waist;
then the cloth is inserted between the
legs and carried both back and front up
under the belt over which it laps, and
the band being drawn tight holds il in
place, and rs the ends are opened spread
out like small aprons, and thus the deni-
zens of the jungle are in full dress, some
what akin TO the Edenic costume Of old
the fig leaf.
ONE OF THEN. IRREGULARITIES.
One of the peculiarities OF this strange
people is the way they raise their rice,
which is their main staple, almost their
sole stock of provisions, eked out with
fruits, roots and herbs, which they collect
when in season, and the jungle is prolific
of such kinds Of food. Each village has
its head man, all live in common, and as
soon as Il field of rice is ready to be cut
he orders it and distributes the grain
equally among his people, and-so on dur
ing the season, all sharing alike. Their
only implements are a large knife used for
cutting rice, building their huts and max
ing tops and cutting their way through
the underground, and a pair Of shears for
cutting hair, which they cut short with
the exception of a tuft on the crown of the
head about two inches in length, which
looks like a shoebrush, standing up Ike
brlstleS. Having no pots, they cook their
rice in bamboo. They cut off q section
and shave it thin, open q hole in one end.
put i'll the rice and water, then closing up
the end, put it in the fire. Green bamboo
being impervious to the fire, they thus
have first class pot. The same is used by
the Siamese when travelling through the
jungle-and as they eat with their fingers
they need no dishes, and thus have none
to wash when the meal is over.
When they need cloth, knives or shoes
they barter the products of the jungle,
which are many and varied, consisting Of
rhinocaros horns. elephant tusks, horn,
bone, hide and skin, but viii not take
money except il rare cases. having no use
for it, not knowing its value. They are eX-
pert tr8ppers and snare all kind Of game,
elephant, rhjnoceros, tigers. leoparls,
pumas. deer and all other denizens OF the
wild wood for their skin. ana some Of he
finest ivory exported was purchased from
these people, but their skins were badly
handled. which detractS from their value.
being merely dried in the sun after being;
from the animal
When forced to 20 shod which IS sell
dom, they improyise 4 sandal which they
make out Of piece Of hide, rounded in
front and behind, with a hole where the
big toe rests through which is inserted a
p zee Of bamboo, fastened on the bottom
With 4 loop on top. through which the toe
IS thrust. and thus the sandal Is held on
the foot. They pay n taxes, ackuowl-
edge 10 ruler their number 5 unknown.
AMI in their emerald faScucss. guarded by
malaria as deadly IS dynamite they 1--we
and die, never having heard the story Of
Jesus, knowing 40 future, their world
and existence being confined To the PEN
usula Of Malacca -Ban-kul1 Cor. Rich
moud Mo- Conservator. I
4 Fertilizer from the Vineyard.